Netflix’s Atkinson film is a hive of product placement

Comedy Man vs Bee prompts complaints over its ‘unremitting’ shots of upmarket lifestyle brands

ONE of the great benefits of a Netflix subscription is that there are no adverts.

But anyone who watches the streaming service’s new Rowan Atkinson comedy, Man vs Bee, could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. From Waitrose capers to Miele appliances, the show is stuffed with close-ups of products.

Reviewers have complained about the “unremitting” product placement, even though the brands did not pay to be included. Instead, the makers of the show bought the products and included them as a means of illustrating the couple’s luxury lifestyle.

Atkinson plays hapless housesitter Trevor Bingley, who arrives to look after the home of a wealthy couple (played by Jing Lusi and Julian RhindTutt), with disastrous results.

In the opening minutes, the homeowners show Atkinson’s character around their kitchen and point out their “special edition Miele” dishwasher.

Atkinson’s bed is in a utility room next to a Miele washing machine, ensuring that every shot of him in bed features the Miele logo.

For his first meal in the house, Trevor opens a cupboard and viewers get a close-up shot of Waitrose French Onion and Red Wine soup. When he steps into the shower, the camera lingers on shampoo by the cult brand Aesop.

The show also features Waitrose capers, Tiptree ketchup and President butter, plus a Miele tumble dryer, microwave and vacuum cleaner. The couple leave the house to go on holiday, with their Rimowa luggage prominently in shot.

The most expensive prop in the show was loaned, rather than bought. It is the oldest surviving Jaguar E-type, which Trevor duly ruins.

Darryl Collis, director of specialist product placement agency Seesaw Media, said unpaid product placement is becoming increasingly common.

“I can see why they have used these brands. The design of the house has to scream taste, elegance and affluence, and these products are a shorthand for the couple’s lifestyle.

“Sometimes it benefits a brand to be in a show, but sometimes the show benefits from having the brand in it. It’s a shorthand for this couple’s lifestyle,” he said.

The rise in streaming services means that product placement is becoming more important as an alternative to traditional advertising.

“During the pandemic, we saw a 30 per cent increase in enquiries from brands looking to get on screen, because they saw how much content was being consumed. And the great thing about getting on Netflix shows is that they are global,” said Mr Collis, who predicted that all the featured products would see a rise in sales.

“It does work. I wouldn’t be in business if it didn’t,” he said.